Ascendance
by TheWordMasterofFiction
Summary: Sheik is on the run from the planet of Hyrule when he crosses paths with the crew of the spaceship Rosetta on a far-off planet. Led by their gruff captain Snake, the crew becomes caught up in a shocking plot that could destroy the delicate balance between all worlds, and unleash a darker power than ever seen before. Can they put their own dark secrets aside to save the universe?
1. Sheik

**Hello, readers! For those of you who don't know me (which, seeing that I've been away from writing fics for a very long time, wouldn't be a surprise), I'm TheWordMasterofFiction. I used to publish in the SSB section quite a lot, starting with my first multichaptered fic _Stars of Destiny, _up until my last huge/most successful fic, the thriller _Smashed Minds_. Then, at the beginning of this year...well, I'll chalk it up to a combination of personal events, applying to college, and just a lack of ideas I wanted to dig into, but I stopped writing for a long while. I wanted to get back into writing fanfics, but I just couldn't get the energy to do so.**

**Until late June, that is, when after finishing the series _Cowboy Bebop_, I had an idea. And, with the release of two SSB titles, I figured it was time to bring this idea to light.**

**So I'm declaring this to be my last fic. There's a chance I'll take that declaration back if I come up with an idea, or some collabs or gift fics finally materialize, but for the time being, this is the last fanfiction I'm going to write for SSB, or any other category. It's a science-fiction series, inspired by great scifi shows and movies like _Firefly, Star Wars, _and _Cowboy Bebop_- a genre I haven't seen a lot of in this section. It's not serious like _Smashed Minds_ was, nor is it as silly as _Stars of Destiny_- I'd say it's a bit of both, with action, adventure, and some mystery as well. **

**Terribly sorry for the excessive AN, but after ten months of being off the grid, you've got to say something. Anyways, please enjoy _Ascendance, _and the fact that I own none of these characters (Nintendo, Kojima, and others do).  
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><p>Chapter One: Sheik<p>

The acrid smell of the city weaved its way through the thin fabric of Sheik's mask, and he loved and loathed the way his nose wrinkled at its presence. So much was buried in between those wafting contrails, so much history that stretched far beyond the street corner he occupied- there were fragrances traded spices and far off worlds, the stink of the streets and the waste that costed the slums, mixed in with the sharp tang of spaceship gasoline and coated over with the hair-raising scent of ozone. Sheik had never experienced such a combination, but that was the magic of the Hub: it lured you in with mystery, then ensnared you in a swirling mass of visitors and strangers all crammed onto one singular planet with one singular city. Luckily for him, he had other plans than to stay and wallow in this filth, however tempting the surroundings appeared to be.

Sheik took a shallow breath, feeling sweat roll down the back of his neck to an unreachable spot as he peered cautiously around the corner. No person stood out to him amidst the haggling masses of the trading market, allowing him a moment of calm that slowed the heartbeat pounding in his ears. He couldn't hide for long- there _had _to be a way off the Hub, legal or not. Time wasn't much of an asset here, but space...Sheik glanced up at the stars above, barely visible through the smog and dust, but still out there freely shining. That was where his destiny was, amid the silence and quiet of space, free from scrutiny and-

"Hey! You there!"

A yell, a flash of green and the sight of a familiar insignia; it was all Sheik caught out of the corner of his eye, and it was all he needed to take off. The roar of engines overhead, as a large ship came in for a landing near the docking station, drowned out the calls of the men following him but sadly did nothing to increase the distance between him and themselves. He dashed, rushing past startled traders and weaving in between items strange and familiar, searching frantically for something, anything, that could help him break from the chase. The marketplace faded behind him as he raced into the darker and older slums of the Hub, with the pounding footsteps still on his tail. He _could _fight them, instead of run away. That thought had crossed his mind when he had first landed on this strange planet two days ago. It would buy him time...that is, if he won against them. The Hylian Guard were efficient units, and if their commander was involved in this operation (which he most likely was), Sheik was better off running.

_Wait! Ahead- a door!_

The entrance to a bar caught his eye suddenly, and he veered off into the alleyway leading towards it and inside its dark embrace. The door shut hard behind him, cutting off the startled "Hey!" of whoever was following him and thrusting Sheik into a mass of bodies and noise yet again. Apparently, this was a popular place to drink, as the singular wood room was stuffed with travelers and locals of every variety and type, with most cramming the bar that took up an entire wall. For a moment, he was taken aback at the sheer amount of diversity: never had he seen so many races so unlike his own, laughing and yelling and seemingly getting along. Then, he noted that many of them carried large weapons proudly displayed on belts and chests, and he spotted the shady looks cast in all directions...he would have to be careful.

Sheik made his way to the bar, catching the eyes of the bartender: a tall human male (or so he could tell from a quick look) with a dark mustache and a oval, baby like face. The bartender regarded him with a look of suspicion as he took a seat on an old, rickety stool. "Either you just ran in here because you _really _wanted a drink, or you've brought some trouble with you...and if it's the latter, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

It took Sheik a moment to catch his breath, and then ask in a deep, hoarse voice, "If I buy a drink, will I still be causing trouble?"

The response seemed to amuse the bartender, as his mustache raised in a slight smirk. "You'd be causing me business, which is good enough. Tell me, what can I get you?"

"Just a water for now, thanks."

"Water? Well, so long as you have the credit to pay for it." Business was business, the type apparently not much of a matter. "We don't get many Sheikah around the Hub anymore, you know. You fresh off the boat from Hyrule?"

The barman slid the glass of water down the bar, which Sheik caught nimbly and raised to his mouth to partake from. "Mm."

Taking this as a sign of agreement, the barman kept talking, his voice somewhat muffled amid the din of his patrons. "So then you were there when-"

Somehow, the sound of the door to the bar opening rang out, as the yells and talk before quieted to a soft, confused mumble. Sheik didn't have to turn around to know that his pursuers had found him at last. His fingers gripped the smudged glass as he tensed, hand shaking with anticipation for the inevitable words...

"Move sir, you're in our way."

Those were not the words he expected to hear. Confused, Sheik turned to look over his shoulder, only to find his vision blocked by something enormous and...pink?

"I said move!" A voice came from the other side of the blocking blob. "You are interrupting our search, which is a punishable offense under Hylian law!"

A sonorous voice answered the command. "Poyo."

"What?"

"_Poyo."_ The glasses on the bar rattled at the stranger's timbre, bringing all conversation to a halt inside the establishment.

The bartender nervously twisted a finger around his mustache as he coughed softly. "He says that he would move, if you were not standing on his foot." His eyes alighted on Sheik with a suspecting glance, making the Sheikah pray fervently in his mind to any and every goddess or god he could think of. The last thing he needed was to be apprehended here, in front of all these watchful eyes.

A grim laugh answered the bartender's translation. "I'm afraid we don't have time for apologies." Sheik couldn't spy the officer's face, but he could only imagine the restrained anger that must have surfaced in the man. "Our captain demands that we carry out our mission on any planet we can, using any means necessary. The Brothers Corporation had already approved us to be on the Hub within our own jurisdiction, and our rules say nothing about using force on scum such as yourselves. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to search this place from top to bottom until we track down-"

_Crunch! _

Without warning, a massive pink fist was suddenly planted into the officer's face, bringing out a scream from the officer and a roar from the pink being. At that point, all hell broke loose- the patrons surged forward as a mass against the group of officers, wrestling them to the ground against the cacophony of smashing glass and breaking wood. Sheik ducked as a glass was thrown his way in the confusion, whipping his head to the side to avoid it as it smashed into the back of the bar and shattered instantly from impact. "Dear Hylia," he hissed through a clenched jaw, "as if things can't get any worse."

"Oi!" The bartender was failing to control the escalating situation, his voice unable to be heard amid the erupting yells and cries. Realizing he wouldn't be able to stop anyone any time soon, he directed his attention to Sheik once more to yell, "There's a door in the back that leads outside. Something tells me that you want to split from here, so I'd get going if I were you!"

_Why is he helping me?_ Sheik didn't have any time to question the bartender's advice, but nodded that he had understood and began to quickly race to the back. The door was right in front of him, wooden and stained and slightly ajar, and Sheik busted through out into sunlight and a small alleyway littered with garbage composters and fluttering paper. He wanted to run at that moment, wanted nothing more than to take off and distance himself from the soldiers, but his body protested this idea. Instead, he felt suddenly light-headed, deciding the current course of action was to slow his breathing and rapidly beating heart...

"Poyo."

That deep voice rang out through the alley, like thunder that arrived after the force of lightning, and Sheik let out a long, heavy breath to ask aloud "You're the one who stood up to the soldiers in there, aren't you?" No answer followed. Trying a different approach, Sheik turned to look at the being behind him, and immediately found himself surprised. Whatever it was, it was very rotund, and quite tall- he had to crane his neck to gaze at the black eyes the thing regarded him with, eyes tinged with the coming blue of a promised morning. It was a bright pink color, almost unnaturally pink, with no obvious nose in its fully round face, or ears to be seen on its rosy, round body. Its arms were basically stubs, lacking fingers on the ends...in fact, the only thing he could see on it were shoes on what he imagined were its feet. It didn't seem like something that could take on a group of soldiers, let alone himself. So why had it attacked the soldiers in the first place?

The being regarded him with a tilt of its head, and gently rumbled, "Poyo?"

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand your language," Sheik admitted, before he suddenly became aware of the sounds of fighting still echoing from the bar behind the thing. "I'm grateful you were able to allow me to get out of there, but I think it best to leave this place now before those men come back."

The being nodded once, and began a lumbering walk out of the alleyway as the Sheikah followed behind it, leaving the sounds of the brawl to fade away and be replaced by the hum of conversation that surrounded the Hub. Within a few minutes they found themselves back in the central marketplace, where Sheik had arrived earlier and hidden from the guards that were still dealing with things back in the bar.

The Hub had not always been the Hub- long ago, some said that it had been an outpost of an ancient civilization that had flown the stars and ruled the desert landscape with a fair and just hand. Whatever evidence of that idea, however, was not to be found any longer, as the Hub had been transformed from outpost oasis into the biggest trading port in the galaxy. Huge skyscrapers painted in silver reached for the smoggy dust-filled skies, and what little light shown through bathed everything in a sepia-toned twilight. Sheik could see the miles of tents and buildings both big and small that stretched out in front of him, all a mass of chaos and color and darkness and light rolled into a singular body of life. Walking along, he spotted creatures he had never seen before haggling at stalls or running in and out of buildings as if their very lives depended on their speed. Bits and pieces of foreign languages floated around him, but soon the roar of an engine drowned them all out as a long, bronze spaceship began its descent overhead. He looked up at it through the film of his mask, the sound making his ears ache, and for a moment, he felt too far from the home he had once known.

"Poyo, poyo poyo." His companion pointed in the direction in which the ship had headed, where Sheik presumed the shipyard was, and began to lumber down the dusty road with the Sheikah at his voices of the market faded into the drone of engines and hum of warp jets, spread out over the main terminal that was the central gateway for the entire Hub. The terminal was incredibly large, reaching for the sky like a massive tent that tapered to a thin point to puncture the sky above. Ships of various colors and sizes flew in and out, one actually blasting off as Sheik walked along and watched it roar off into the was situated on the side of a large canyon, with metal walkways suspended above the gaps for the ships to lock onto and for its passengers to maneuver around. Flags flew at some of the port areas, indicating that the zone belonged to a country's trading and travel vessels. Much to Sheik's surprise, none of the flags held the familiar insignia of the Hylian Crest.

The two walked on into the terminal, past the rows of ticket counters chugging out passes to faraway lands and passengers eagerly waiting for their journey to begin, and into the area of the docking station meant for crews and their ships. The ceiling stretched high above their heads to accommodate the sheer size of the space yachts, mean to carry thousands of passengers in and out of galaxies at the speed of light. Other shipping vessels gleamed under the care of their owners, who were polishing and repairing their metallic exteriors with precision, albeit with a couple of curse words thrown in. Sheik's makeshift guide passed all these ships by without a second glance to travel further back into the terminal, ignoring the bark of languages that crackled over the loudspeakers above his towering head.

"Are there always this many ships here?" Sheik asked in wonderment, his senses struggling to take in the bountiful splendor before him.

"Poyo," the being said, which Sheik interpreted to mean 'yes.'

Suddenly, the pink thing stopped at one of the docks, nearly causing its follower to crash into it. They had come to rest in front of a medium-sized vessel made of some sort of silver-gray metal, which seemed to ripple under the undulating light from the outside. The body was long and wide, but aerodynamic enough that it sharpened to a point at both the front and back, and stood horizontally on four support legs. Sheik estimated it to be at least a hundred yards in length, maybe a little less, and about twenty feet high- a good size for a ship with a small cargo, or a small crew. Across its bow, words were printed in a fiery white script that burned brightly against the backdrop of the hull. It took him a second to comprehend what it meant, since the words were written in the Basic tongue of most galaxies, and not the Hylian dialects he was familiar with.

"_Rosetta_..." Sheik murmured to himself, letting the foreign word roll across his tongue. "That's a beautiful name."

"You're absolute garbage, you know!"

There came a crash from inside the ship at this loud exclamation, as the hull suddenly opened with a hiss to create a ramp to the ground. From it descended a very angry-looking young man, with fiery red hair and piercing beady eyes. His clothing was pristine, if not a bit rumpled, and he held his head in a way that indicated he was of a higher class than most, although at the moment his anger put him on the same plane as any other person.

A gruff voice answered from within the _Rosetta_, "If you don't pay, you can't ride. I thought I explained this to you when we left your home planet."

"I would have paid you the rest once we had arrived at our destination-!"

"No, I know your type: you pay what you can, and then you skip out as soon as you're able to. Well, if you're only going to pay me halfway, then I'm only going to take you halfway." A canvas bag went flying from out of the ship, which the man nimbly caught. "Don't even try to come back in here," the voice continued, as the young man angrily stomped away, cursing under his breath and ignoring Sheik and the being.

After a moment, a human male stepped outside and moved to lean against the hull, an already lit cigarette in one hand. Taking a drag from it, he brew out smoke that circled around his shaggy brown hair and obscured his eyes, while with his free hand he smoothed out a wrinkle from his long-sleeved gray shirt and dusted off a black coat that went down to his ankles. He appeared tired to Sheik, but yet coiled like a spring, having pent up energy inside that rivaled the force of a angered star. From the conversation he had overheard, he could only surmise that this was the captain of the ship _Rosetta_.

The man was engrossed in his smoke, until the pink being let out a "Poyo" that echoed through the sound of drills and engines, making him take notice. "Well, looks like you're on time," he grumbled in a deep, hoarse voice as the being approached him. "Did you get into any fights, Kirby? You know we can't afford more fines now, especially since our last piece of baggage barely paid us half."

"Poyo! Poyo poyo."

"What the ex do you mean by 'you found another rider'?" The man peered around the lump to glare at Sheik. "Hey, you. Did he get you into some trouble of his?"

"Poyo!" The being, which was apparently named Kirby, spoke up in an offended tone before Sheik could answer.

"You got _him_ out of trouble? At the Mario's place- first off, why were you even there? Wait, I don't want to know...the real question is, why did you feel the need to punch a member of the Hylian Guard in the face?!"

"Poyo!"

"Wonderful idea. Yes, go start a fight with the Hylian Guard, you won't look conspicuous considering you're _a giant walking pink blob_." The captain turned back to Sheik, waving his cigarette around as he spoke. "Look, I'm sorry he led you all this way, but Kirby here doesn't think things through completely." Ignoring the offended look given by Kirby, he continued, "If you're wanted by some sort of group, you'll have to leave. Last thing I want is trouble with the Guard, or the Brothers Corporation for that matter. Have a nice day."

Sheik watched as the man and Kirby began to head back inside their ship, before calling out, "Wait!" They both turned, and he quickly said, "I'm not sure why the Guard wanted me, but I won't bring you any trouble! I can work on your ship if you want me to, or pay you to let me stay! All I need is just a planet to get to besides the Hub- you can drop me off somewhere if you want to, and I won't make a fuss! I swear it!"

The man seemed to hesitate, as if mulling over the offer piece by piece. Then, he moved towards Sheik, coming to stare at him face to face and ask in a low voice, "How much money are you willing to pay?"

"As much as I have," Sheik said, "and I'll work to cover my debt if I don't have enough that you require."

Both were silent. Then, the captain turned and laughed with a slow, amused chuckle. "Well kid, you're certainly desperate to leave this exhole. I didn't know things were so bad for the Sheikah- heck, I thought your kind died out a long time ago!"

"Unfortunately, I'm still alive."

"Well, unfortunately for you, but fortunate for me. I'll need your payment now, if you don't mind." Sheik pulled out a small burlap bag from his traditional Sheikah wrappings, feeling as if the eye emblazoned on his chest was watching the loss of all the Rupees he possessed. The captain opened it, poured out a handful of Rupees, then handed the sack back to him. "You've got plenty. Keep some of the extra for when you want to go sightseeing somewhere...like the rest of my crew." The captain flicked his cigarette away and stuck out his hand. "Call me Snake. I'm the captain here- what I say goes."

"My name is Sheik."

"Sheik the Sheikah? That's pretty ironic, don't you think?"

"No."

"Alright then, don't get your wrappings in a twist." The two shook hands, then walked to join Kirby at the foot of the ramp as Snake continued with "I guess you didn't bring any belongings. Must have been in a hurry to leave Hyrule, eh? Can't blame you- ever since their leader shut down all trade and communications on the planet a month ago, no one's been keen to go there. Anyways, let's get inside- I'll show you around the _Rosetta_ until the rest of my crew comes back, and we take off."

Sheik, hardly believing the way his luck had turned, sent a silent prayer of thanks to the goddesses and gods for watching over him. Finally, he was getting off this planet and back into the freedom of space- but to where? He hadn't an idea, but he'd find a way so long as he kept running from the Guard.

Or, however, until the captain and his crew found out why he was running in the first place.

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><p><strong>I'm not sure how the updating for this is going to go. College is pretty strange in regards to free time- you'll have weeks with no homework, and then weeks with tons of homework. Not to mention I've made the mistake of putting this up before finals...but it will update. In a timely fashion...no, but there will be updates when I can sit down and write them.<strong>

**Moving on, Sheik's got some mysteries right off the bat, and there seems to be some strange happenings in Hyrule. Wonder what's up with that...**

**On a quick side note, in the Ascendance universe all the characters come from planets representing their worlds (Mushroom Kingdom/Mario Universe is part of one planet, Animal Crossing universe is another planet, etc.). People can travel to and from these worlds with spaceships, just like in most science fiction worlds. More of the mechanics will be explained later on (in case anyone's confused) as the story progresses, but I'm attempting to create my first real original fictional universe here, and I'm crossing my fingers that it turns out alright.**

**Feel free to leave a review (I love reviews), or follow and/or favorite this fic. I'll see you all again next update, but until then, read on!**


	2. Snake

**Hello, readers!**

**Sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated- the past six months have gone by in a blur, leaving little time for writing. Yet, I got this chapter finished, and before finals too! Hopefully it's worth the wait!**

**Before I start, I probably should mention a couple of things. One is that I've revised my original endgame for this fanfic: instead of it being a nice little thing, it's now developed into a three-part idea, that may take a while to finish. Secondly, I'll be switching POVs for nearly every chapter, just so you can get to know all the characters a little better. This chapter in particular focuses on Snake! Finally, I forgot to mention this last chapter, but all curse words have pretty much been filtered out in this universe. Instead, I borrowed from Tom Hank's _Electric City_ and used variations of the word "expletive" for the characters.**

**Anyways, all characters are property of Nintendo, Kojima, or what have you. Enjoy the update!**

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><p>Chapter Two: Snake<p>

Snake wasn't sure what to make of the newcomer.

After years of traveling across the galaxy, many interesting myths weaved their way into his life, including whispers of the mysterious Sheikah that once inhabited the equally mythical planet of Hyrule. Yet, to see one here alive, and onboard his ship as well...it was mindboggling. All the same, Sheik stepped onto his ship with wide red eyes (one of the creepiest things he'd seen), seemingly unable to comprehend his surroundings. Which wasn't all that surprising: Snake believed the poor kid (if he was a kid) had never been on a real spaceship in his entire life.

The cargo hold was decently sized for a small ship: square, cold, and with a ramp leading up to another level of metallic walkways and doors. Currently the hold was empty of boxes, which made it feel larger to Snake than the cramped quarters he had arrived with. "This is the cargo hold," he explained to Sheik, wishing he still had his cigarette with him. "It's where we keep the cargo we trade when we need to make some extra money The ramp leads up to the rest of the ship, and those doors are extra storage rooms for smaller boxes and supplies."

"Is this where I'm staying?"

"Ex no! You're not cargo!" Did he truly believe people stayed in cargo holds? Maybe he wasn't the brightest of Sheikah...or maybe he wasn't accustomed to traveling any other way. The embargo had run both ways, after all...but never mind that. With his hands fidgeting at his side in yearning for another smoke, Snake beckoned his passenger onward and deeper into the _Rosetta._

_"_You said you carry cargo to 'make extra money'? What exactly do you do?" Sheik's voice drifted over the hiss of steam and whirring of gears that echoed through the narrow corridor of the ship, barely able to be heard.

"Jobs we pick up here and there, for the most part: transporting passengers, bounty hunting, and booting cargo from one planet to another." Snake couldn't help but shrug, as he ducked under a low hanging beam. "So long as we make money, we'll do just about anything."

That shut the kid up for a few seconds more, until Snake stopped at a point where the corridor split into three paths. "If you take a left, you'll be at the kitchen area and the engine room, and to the right is where the crew and I sleep. You'll get the extra room we have."

"What about the path straight ahead?"

"Hmm? Oh, that leads to the command center. Not much to see up there unless you like buttons."

Even with the dim lights from along the sides of the walls, Snake could still see the red-eyed look was thrown his way, nearly making his hair stand on end. "Is the ship powered by magic?"

"Magic? Wha...oh right, you're Hylian. No, the _Rosetta _runs on good old fuel and elbow grease, not magic. You'll have to ask our mechanic for the technical mumbo jumbo." Gosh, he really wished the kid would lighten up a little- were all Sheikah this serious? "Alright, that's basically it. I have to get ready for takeoff, so you can just go to your room and-"

"SNAKE!"

A loud, angry yell broke through the ship's gentle humming, making Sheik jump and the captain sigh. "That's one of the crewmembers...from the sounds of it, one you may want to get to know when she's in a better mood. I'll go see what she wants, and you can go get yourself acquainted with your living quarters." Knowing that a longer, louder yell would soon follow unless he responded, Snake hurried back towards the cargo hold with the tails of his coat flapping frantically at his heels.

The Sheikah watched him go back down the corridor, before turning back and examining the three pathways. "Wait...which one led to my room again?"

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><p>There was an old saying Snake had once heard from a fellow captain: a ship was only as good as the crew who ran it. If the man was right, then the <em>Rosetta <em>had a lot of work cut out for it, starting with some of the more...hotheaded members.

Stepping down the metal walkway leading out of the ship, Snake was greeted by a long, silvery sword blade held up to his throat. He never flinched, but instead greeted the blade with a sigh. "Hello, Lucina. Mind putting that down and talking to me like a normal person?"

The blade was lowered quickly, as a young woman with long blue hair stepped angrily out in front of the captain. "What the expletive happened to our customer?" He couldn't respond to the petite woman fast enough before she cut him off again. "Kirby said you threw him off the ship!"

"Well, he's right. The guy only paid us half of what he owed, and I knew he wasn't going to pay the rest."

"Snake! We needed that money- half of it isn't going to cut it!" Lucina turned away from her captain, as she pressed her thumb and index finger to the bridge of her nose and sighed in dismay. "I can't believe you didn't press him for more money or make him work to pay off his debt. Naga knows we need an extra hand."

Finally, a chance to respond. "That's the good news then: I found someone who already paid to travel, possibly to work too."

"Poyo!" The pink blob walked up the gangplank with a large cargo box, glaring at Snake as he grumbled by.

"Fine, _Kirby_ technically found him, but that doesn't matter." From inside the ship came a curse of "Poyo!", as Snake continued, "The point is that we got the money, and an extra set of hands."

"Oh really?" Lucina's anger seemed to soften, as she turned back around. "Who is it?"

"A Sheikah."

Apparently he had said something wrong. A stream of Ylissian curses, the language of her homeland, flew from the blue-eyed woman's mouth, as she raised her sword once again in his direction. Before she could impale him, however, a short figure rushed between them. "Whoa! Luci, take it easy!"

"Easy?! I refuse to 'take it easy', Mac, when the captain brings myths aboard the ship!" The newcomer- a young, tan man with close cut black hair- allowed Lucina to slam a fist against his sleeveless white top, apparently not shaken by her violence. It seemed to do wonders on her temper, for her words became a quieter mumble. "Sheikah don't exist, _captain, _and even if they did, they wouldn't leave their precious planet. Whoever you claim to have found must be nothing more than a fraud."

"Captain," the young man remarked as he turned to Snake, "she has a point. Even the Hylians we met before said that the Sheikah were nothing more than legends."

Snake reached into his coat and held up one of the small, green Rupees Sheik had given him. "If that's the case, then that would make this cash nothing more than a legend as well."

_That_ certainly got their attention. Lucina reached forward and took the shining gem in her hand, gazing at it as if it would disappear any second. "In Naga's name," she murmured, turning it over in her hand once more before handing it to Mac.

"Well, it's definitely real. I've seen enough Rupees to know the true from the fake," Mac said, as he handed it back to his captain. "We've got a genuine Hylian onboard, Sheikah or not."

"Better yet, we've got genuine payment," Snake reminded his crew. "It's not much, but it'll keep us running for a bit longer."

"Then what's keeping us here? Let's take off!"

"Would if I could, Mac, but I can't leave anyone behind. We still have to wait on-"

"What the ex is everyone standing around for?" A nasally, almost gravelly voice interrupted the captain, as a rather round man stopped forward carrying a sealed wooden crate with both arms. The gray goggles on his yellow hat were as crooked as the mustache under his swollen nose, and slightly obscured the blue W emblazoned against the lemon-colored fabric. "Seriously, why are we standing around," he asked again, as he adjusted his crate to scratch at the back of his pink pants.

"To be honest, Wario, we were waiting for you to show up," Snake said as he pointed at the crate. "What's in there?"

"What you can use to go ex yourself," Wario shot back swiftly. "You know exactly what's in here- it's new parts for the engine, since _someone_ complained about the fact that our hyperspace drive was malfunctioning. Would have been fixed months ago too, if we had only made some money."

As the man ambled up the gangplank, the captain called out, "You shouldn't speak badly about your employer! He could just fire you and find someone better!"

"Wahaha! I'm the best engineer there is, boss! You can't find someone better anywhere in the galaxy!"

_Unfortunately, he's right, _Snake thought to himself, shooting a scowl at the retreating form of Wario, before once again turning back to Lucina and Little Mac. "Alright, prepare for departure, kids. Something tells me we've got a long journey ahead of us." He didn't follow them up into his ship, however, but instead reached for a cigarette and stuck it in the corner of his mouth, as he gazed about the terminal.

The docking station of the Hub was different today, with a little less noise and a little less motion that stuck out to his heightened, experienced senses. Today felt almost peaceful, although such a description would have made him laugh- he had never known peace, after all. Reaching for his lighter, Snake pulled it from his pocket and stared at his reflection in the shimmering silver surface, with the image of his face haunting the deepest corner of his mind. It dragged out memories and sounds and images one by one to dance across his field of vision, and as experienced as he was, he couldn't do a single thing about times like these.

_"Move, everyone! We can't be exposed out here in the open!"_

_Rocket fire. Screams. The wail of an alarm, mixed with wails of the fallen. An explosion knocked him onto his back, to gaze up at a black sky stained with smoke and dust. Coughing, he rose back to his feet, and avoided the terrified eyes that looked to him. _

_"Sir? The enemy is coming towards us- what do we do?"_

_Now Snake could look one of his men in the eyes. "What do you think we do? We fight, we push back, and we don't stop until we've driven these expletives back." They all smiled and nodded, the poor fools, and with a rallying cry they swooped over the sand dune and charged forward. Snake followed his men, but his eyes were fixed on the skies of this desolate planet, where the black orb that had begun this Hell of fighting stared back at him, suspended away from the ground. Suddenly, as if aware it was being watched, a loud rumbling filled the atmosphere, and the black surface of the orb parted to reveal a painfully bright beam of light. It struck the sands in front of his men, and the night was once again filled with screaming, too much screaming, nothing but screams and brightness that cast his vision into nothingness..._

"Captain! Hey, captain, we're getting ready to leave!"

Mac's voice slingshotted Snake back from the past, as he shoved the lighter violently back into his pocket. "Yeah, I'm coming. Make sure everything's in place, including our passenger," he instructed, banishing the lingering screams to the back of his mind as he looked out at the dusty red canyon. Most times he was at the Hub, he nearly forgot that the canyon was not a natural part of the planet's landscape. Of course, he never truly forgot. It was hard to forget what had created that canyon, especially when he had been there on the day it was made.

_Don't tell me I'm getting nostalgic now_, he grumbled inwardly as he once again made his way inside the _Rosetta_ and down that familiar, claustrophobic hallway towards the metal door that slid open upon his arrival. To be fair, the name made it seem grander than the reality he was presented with: the room was shaped like a semicircle, with walls made of the same gray and silver metal that made up his dear ship. On the far side the curved wall was one massive window, offering a view of the canyon that served as their takeoff zone. The space wasn't entirely bare, however, as two wide modules with dozens of buttons and flashing lights and switched were situated in the middle of the command center. At one of these modules sat Lucina, swaying back and forth in boredom and cleaning her blade with a cloth, until she spotted Snake and put both objects down. "There you are! We were about ready to leave without you."

"Let's be honest, Lucina: you wouldn't leave any of us behind."

A wry smile crept up the young woman's face. "Very true, sir. Now, are we going to take off or not?"

"Oh, let's beat it. I'm ready to get out of this exhole." Walking over to the other module, Snake pressed one of the many buttons and spoke into a small speaker on the console. "Wario, we good to launch?"

His mechanic answered at first with the sound of a belch. "Yeah, yeah we're pretty much ready."

"Pretty much?"

"Well I mean there's always that chance we could explode, you know-"

"WARIO_."_

_"_Ok ok, yeah we're good to go. Sheesh, there's no need to yell."

Pressing another button, Snake sighed and looked to his smirking navigator. "I just can't understand that man sometimes."

"Who, Wario?" Mac entered the command center at that moment, as Lucina got out of her seat and let the pilot have his spot at the module. "Tell me about it, sir. One time I saw him eat an entire thing of garlic- _garlic_! Who does something like that?!"

"We can worry about Wario's eating habits once we leave orbit, Mac. Right now, let's just get out of here. Lucina, do we have clearance to get out of here?"

"Yeah, we can leave whenever we're ready."

"Alright Mac, start her up. You know the drill."

Grinning, Mac pressed a few buttons, and the engine roared to life, making the _Rosetta_ shudder. Upon the massive window, several diagnostic readings popped up for the crew to take in, but none were a cause for concern or a second glance. "Alrighty, everyone secure themselves: we're blasting off!" Mac crowed into a speaker, as Lucina left the room with a grumble of how she "hated takeoff".

Both captain and pilot watched the endless shifting of numbers on the window as they too strapped themselves into their chairs, until finally the roar of the engine became a scream that rattled Snake to his bones. It was the only indication Mac seemed to require, as he reach for a silver lever in front of him, and pushed it forward. "Lifting off!"

Out shot the _Rosetta _from the terminal like a silver bullet, streaking across the surface of the canyon in a matter of seconds before pointing its nose towards the smoky skies. It climbed higher and higher past the russet clouds, with the pressure inside the ship building and building until suddenly, Snake felt no pressure at all bearing down on him. In fact, after a moment he began to float slightly from his chair- a press of a button fixed that, although a heavy thump and a loud "Poyo!" echoed through the ship. "Gravity mechanism now up and running," Snake said into his speaker. "Sorry, Kirby. We've officially left the Hub's orbit."

"He'll forgive you," said Mac, as he eased himself back into his chair, while the screaming of the engines quieted to a dull hum. "Look, captain...have you ever seen something that beautiful?"

No, he hadn't, Snake realized as he stared out at the multitudes of stars painted across the pitch blackness of space. "There used to be more stars out there."

"Yeah...more people and planets too. It's a tragedy, but we stopped it from ever happening again. Well, technically we _helped_, but still-"

"Is this...are we in space?"

Suddenly a new voice spoke from behind Snake, who turned his chair to see Sheik standing in the doorway, with his wide eyes fixed on the far reaching cosmos. "Welcome to the universe, kid," Snake said as he rose from his seat. "You're looking at a few hundred stars, about two hundred or so planets, and millions of beings spread out among them. Hope it looks as great as it sounds."

The Sheikah mumbled something that sounded like Hylian under his breath, as he stepped into the room and closer to the large window. "I...I had no idea so many planets existed."

"Oh, you should have been in space ten years ago- you wouldn't have believed how many more planets were around," responded Mac, with a curious glance at the newcomer. "Hang on, let me put autopilot on...there we go. You must be our passenger the captain kept insisting was real. I'm Mac, the pilot, if you haven't guessed that already."

"I'm Sheik. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Wait, Sheik the Sheikah?"

"...It's a common name among my people..."

The door opened with a whoosh as Lucina and Kirby entered the deck, with the blue-haired woman immediately spotting the Sheikah. "Oh, so our passenger decided to come visit. I hope you're not going to skip out without payment, like our last guest."

"That charming young lady is Lucina," Snake pointed out dryly, as the Ylissean gave him a look. "You already know Kirby."

"POYO!" The pink blob rushed forward and ensnared Sheik in his arms, lifting the poor kid off the ground with a hug. "Poyoooooo."

"What's all this noise?" Wario peered into the room with a suspicious glance, as his mustache quivered with curiosity. "Is Kirby snapping someone in half? We betting on a fight? I'll put my money on Kirby."

Mac and Lucina gave each other, and then Wario, an incredulous look. "Wario, you're broke."

"Thanks, Lucina. Way to wreck my exing dreams. Seriously though, what're we all doing here?"

"Sheik," Snake introduced, "Meet the last member of our crew, our mechanic, Wario. Ignore his breeches in manners, because he just doesn't know any better."

Wario, who had been in the process of picking his nose, shot his captain a dark look. "Hey now, I know better. I just choose not to do better! There's a difference, captain." The short man turned back to Sheik as Kirby finally set him down. "Alright, whoever you are- Shulk, right? What, no? Whatever, just tell me where you're heading. Hopefully not Hyrule because as you know-"

"Actually, Sheik is staying on with us for a bit while we take up some jobs." The captain's words echoed above the hum of his ship, as he continued, "I figured it would be good to take on an extra hand, and the kid wants to help. Win-win for all of us."

"Is he even good at anything?" Wario looked suspiciously at Sheik. "Are you even good at anything?"

"Uh...I can play the harp, if that's what you mean."

Throwing his gloved hands in the air, Wario exclaimed, "Perfect! We'll just enter you in a music show, then. I'm sure there's money in that."

"Come on, Wario, he can learn something while he's here. Who knows, maybe you'll grow to like him," Lucina replied, as the engineer grumbled and waddled out of the room, apparently done with the conversation. "In all seriousness, captain, where are we heading? As your navigator, I have the right to know."

Snake stared off at the stars just outside the window, and replied after a moment, "I heard there were some jobs open back at the planet where we picked up our last passenger. Let's see what we can find there."

With a nod, the Ylissean left the room as well, while Kirby pulled Sheik to his side and said, "Poyo!"

"Yeah Kirby, you can give him a tour- take him to see the engine room, since Wario's there now. Make sure our engineer isn't sleeping around again."

Before Kirby could bound away, Sheik pulled his arm from his grasp. "Wait, captain...I wanted to say thank you, for letting me stay here for a bit. I promise I won't get in the way while I'm here."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Just try to stay out of trouble. Kirby doesn't need any more fights these days." Kirby laughed at his captain's words, and with a strength that nearly pulled Sheik's arm from his socket, dragged his new friend out the door, leaving the deck to Mac and Snake once more.

"Nice kid," Mac commented as he pressed a button or two. "Doesn't seem like the kind who'd get into trouble."

Sliding into his chair, Snake retorted, "You'd be surprised. Kirby apparently knocked out half the Hylian Guard when he found our new friend."

"No exing way- the Guard? What the ex are they doing on the Hub? Don't tell me the new ruler wants to keep the embargo _that _badly."

"Not sure. I haven't heard any info out of Hyrule since the coronation and the new isolation policy- they'd have to be authorized to be on the Hub though. It's a non-military zone, ever since the Tabuu Wars ended, so Brothers Corp would have had to ok them for whatever they wanted on the planet."

"Do you think about the Wars a lot, captain? I know it's been a while, but to me, it feels like it happened only yesterday."

Snake pulled a cigarette out from his coat, and stuck it in the corner of his mouth. "That's the thing about war, Mac," he said as he held his lighter to the end. "It never leaves you, no matter how much you try to shake it. War becomes your shadow, and sooner or later the things you've seen and done come back around to haunt you."

The young man watched as Snake blew out a stream of smoke, which swirled around the captain in a miniature orbit. "I'm going back to my room," Mac told him, and without waiting for a reply rose from his chair. His footsteps kept a steady beat against the metal floor, until they passed the door and faded from hearing altogether.

Alone at last, Snake took another inhale from the cigarette, looking out at the stars and planets that surrounded him. How many had been lost again, all those years ago? How many lives had been snuffed from existence? He certainly couldn't remember all those countless names and faces lost to the vast darkness of space. Maybe that was the point. Maybe he wasn't supposed to remember, as if that was the punishment for the times he had fought: the experiences stayed with him, but those he fought for were wiped away.

"It's gone now," Snake told himself feeling the words catch in the back of his throat. "He's gone now."

Yet, once again, the shadow remained with him.

* * *

><p><strong>Now that the setup is out of the way, I can finally work on showing off the adventures of the crew of the <em>Rosetta<em>! Since summer is quickly approaching, updates may become more frequent, so long as I keep my motivation going. The entire universe of _Ascendance_ is already laid out, and piece by piece it'll come together. Hopefully you'll stick around to solve more than just the mystery of Sheik's past...**

**Special thanks to my friend CJ, who read the first draft of this chapter and cleared it for posting. I'll try to update quickly for you!**

**Feel free to leave a review or two, and if you want to be ready for the next update, make sure to follow or favorite the fic! Until next time, keep on reading!**


	3. Pikachu

**Hello, readers! Welcome back to a (sorta late) chapter of _Ascendance_! I said to myself that I'd have a chapter done this summer, and by golly I got one done! During the last week of August! And during my first week back at college! (Hey, at least I finished it in less than six months)**

**To everyone who has left reviews, thank you for taking the time to read this fic, and provide comments! I thank you for your patience during these uneven update times.**

**Anyways, I'm going to start sticking the A/N's at the bottom, since I highly doubt anyone wants to read blocks of text at the top of a story. So, basic legal stuff applies (nintendo owns most of the characters within this work, yadda yadda ya), and enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter Three: Pikachu<p>

Morning dawned without fanfare deep within the woods of a far-off planet, as the yellow sun crept over bushes and well-worn paths etched into the leaf-covered ground. The strength of its rays held no mercy for any person or plant, with the light stretching over a hollow log near the center of the woods, and casting away the sleeping shadows held by the log's occupant.

Pikachu was not amused by this.

He attempted to roll himself over to escape the greetings of the rising sun, but that only disrupted the comfortable position that he had slept in. With a tiny groan, he turned back to glare at the shining light ascending into the cloudless morning sky, and uttered the softest, angriest "Pika" he could muster. The sun, in its typical nature, did not respond, leading to Pikachu to rise up on all fours and let out a grumbling yawn, as he scratched at the tips of his ears with a lemon yellow paw.

Suddenly, Pikachu felt a tingling sensation within him, the kind he only got when something was wrong nearby. Casting his sleepiness aside, he peered out of his makeshift shelter, his brown eyes scanning the undergrowth for any signs of something, anything, that could banish his uneasiness. Nothing seemed amiss amid the rustling ferns and gentle swaying of tree limbs in a spring breeze- all was quiet and peaceful, as it should be.

Then the old man leapt from the bushes.

Before the Pokémon could deploy the electric charge within its cheeks, it felt the unmistakable tug of a powerful force upon it, which lifted it up into the air and sent it spinning. "Pikaa!" Pikachu screeched in dismay, as it was sucked away into the depths of the old man's Pokéball, and the round, red lid closed upon it with a click of success.

"Aha! Found you at last!" The old man triumphantly smirked at the Pokéball within his hand, as if he could see the prize held inside. "You little rascal! I've been searching for you for nearly a week, you know." He slipped the ball into the pocket of the white lab coat he wore as he continued, "There are too many people out there who would love to get their hands on you. It's best we head back to the lab."

The man looked uneasily about the forest, shading his eyes from the dawn and grunting after determining nothing was amiss. "You're getting paranoid, Oak," he grumbled to himself as he turned around and began to rustle through the undergrowth. The feeling that he was being watched, however, still lingered with every step further and further away from the wilds.

* * *

><p>Sheik began the morning by kicking Wario in the face.<p>

To be fair, it had been an accident on his part- he had woken up from a restless sleep to see a shadowy figure, and in a scream of panic instinctively defended himself with a swift sweep of his leg. Why Wario was in his room in the first place was a mystery to the Sheikah, but he couldn't help but think his actions justified.

"Jeez kid, I think you broke my nose," Wario moaned, as Kirby applied a cream of some variety to his face. The crew, minus the captain, were gathered together in the control room, watching in amusement at the slipping away of the engineer's dignity. Sheik stood in the corner near the door, unamused by the painful grunts of his accidental victim. If anything, his leg still stung- Wario was not a soft target by any means, despite his plump appearance.

"Serves you right for sneaking around the ship in the first place." Lucina smirked from her position against the control console. "The heck were you even doing in there?"

"Look, I went into the wrong room, alright? I was tired, I thought it was mine, and I end up getting kicked in the face for my mistake!"

"You're telling me that the man who's supposed to know the ship better than anyone else can't even find the way back to his own room?"

Wario twitched in annoyance, making Kirby frown as his delicate coating of healing cream was disrupted. "Ok, fine, I'm sorry I accidentally made a wrong turn. The kid should still apologize for messing up my face!"

Mac, who was fiddling with buttons on the control module, couldn't help but laugh. "I actually think your face looks better like this!"

"Oh, real funny, Mac. Ha ha. You're just the king of humor, aren't you?"

"Listen up, everyone." Snake's gruff voice announced his arrival as he strode into the room, causing the crew to snap to attention. "We'll be docking in a few hours. As soon as we reach the surface, we're staying together- this isn't a tourist visit, I'm afraid. We've got a job to do, and I intend to do it as swiftly and smoothly as possible."

"Where are we docking, Captain?" Sheik asked quietly, feeling some discomfort as the eyes of the crew swept over him.

"One of the biggest ports on the planet- Lumiose City, in the Kalos Region." The captain shrugged as he continued, "It's not our employer's home city, but since he's there for a conference he figured it would be best if we met him there."

Scratching his head, Mac mumbled aloud, "I don't think I've been to Lumiose City before. Heard it's incredibly fancy though. The food is supposed to be phenomenal."

"Poyo?" Kirby gasped at the mere mention of food.

"Like I said, this isn't a sightseeing trip. We don't have time for fun." As quickly as he had come, Snake was once again out the door, with the command, "Get ready for docking, please. You guys know the drill."

Sheik turned to go, but suddenly froze as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Hey, kid, where are you heading off to?"

Mac, although Sheik had never realized it until now, barely looked older than he did. Yet there was a cold light in his eyes, that when met seemed to make him much older than his youthful visage would have one believe. Those eyes seemed to bore into Sheik as he spoke, as if trapping the words in his mouth and holding them prisoner on his tongue. "I-I-I was going to go back to my room. I don't know how to prepare for docking, and I'd hate to get in anyone's way."

The pilot simply smiled. "I'll show you the docking preps. Captain Snake wants you to be a part of this crew, after all- it's only right that someone shows you the ropes. Except Wario. If he offers to show you anything, just run."

"Hey! Ex you, Mac! I'll show you something you won't soon forget- my fist in your face!"

"Wario, can you even jump up to reach his face? Do I have to get a stool?"

"Lucina!"

Laughter rang through the space, but Sheik remained as impassive as ever, his mind drifting back to the night before. He hadn't slept much, while lying in the tiny room he could now call home, but the dream that had come to him in the early morning hours was one of darkness and the faintest of pleading whispers. Like a serpent, the darkness had curled around him, begging and crying in his ears the same phrase, over and over until it pounded in his head, offering no escape from the question presented to him.

_Why did you abandon us?_

How could he answer such a thing? Even with the truth, it still sounded selfish and cowardly...but did that mean he should have stayed behind? Ignored his orders? He would never do such a thing before, but with so much danger, his choice seemed almost like a death sentence now. "I'm going to come back."

"What was that, Sheik?"

"Oh, sorry. I was thinking out loud, I guess." Sheik kept his quiet promise to himself, as he straightened and followed after Mac, who was off to show him if their descent would be as smooth as their liftoff from the Hub. In the back of his mind, however, he repeated those simple words as a mantra, drilling it over and over so that the promise he had made would become the truth.

_I'm going to come back._

* * *

><p>Sheik had been in awe by the Hub, but for Lumiose City, there was no simple emotion he could find to describe this city.<p>

Lumiose City seemed to stretch on forever, with wide roads and sidewalks populated by people and vehicles of every shape and size. Tall brick buildings loomed around him as he exited the terminal with the crew, bringing a sense of clashing claustrophobia to the never-ending streets. Off in the distance, a massive silver tower pierced the bright blue sky, seemingly in danger of puncturing the wary clouds that happened to drift by. So many sights and sounds and smells overloaded Sheik's senses, making him lift his mask to cover his nose and keep his eyes peeled for the first sign of danger. This city was big, and he had the sensation that if he wasn't careful, the buildings and the streets and the crowds of foreigners would swallow him up.

"Man, it feels so good to be back here!" Mac stretched his arms upward and cracked his tired joints with a sigh of pleasure, as he walked between Sheik and Lucina. "Feel that fresh air! It's been forever since I haven't had to breathe smog and dust. Reminds me of my home world, especially with all these tall buildings."

"Mac, you lived in a city," Lucina reminded him, looking around at the buildings with an apparent lack of enjoyment. "Cities are all the same- polluted, filthy, and too crowded."

"Hey, don't say that! New York was a great place! Although our skyscrapers were much larger than Prism Tower over there."

"What is the purpose of such a thing?" Sheik stared at the sloping sides of the tower, wondering if magic had played a part in making it so tall.

Snake, who walked in the center of the group, spoke up. "On this planet, the locals have learned to coexist with the native wildlife, called Pokémon. While some people study Pokémon, others have taken up a tradition of catching the wild ones and training them, then competing against other trainers in battles, or in Gyms with the master trainer of a city." Pointing at the tower, he continued, "That tower is home to this city's Gym leader. People go up to the very top and try to beat him, although few manage to actually defeat him and his Pokémon."

"Bah, it's all a load of ex if you ask me," Wario scoffed. "I never understood the importance of Pokémon anyway. Who'd want to waste all their time and money running around and throwing balls at animals?"

"That reminds me- Wario, what exactly is our job again?"

"Oh, some old guy has a problem with some Pokémon of his. Apparently he wants us to be its...bodyguards."

"Poyo!"

"I wish I was joking."

"Well," Snake cut in as Kirby shook his pink head in disbelief, "The important thing is that the job pays, and that as soon as we complete it, we'll have enough to last us a little while. Now, where the heck is this guy?"

Sheik pointed across the street. "I think he's the one frantically waving in our direction."

Sheik was right: a gray-haired man was, indeed, rapidly waving at them. He began to make his way across the street to their location, and as he approached, his features became more noticeable. The hair on his forehead looked like frost, as the light breeze did nothing to move the stiff and brittle strands that reached upward. His face was peppered with wrinkles, countered by a youthful gleam in his dark eyes and a gentle curve of a smile. While the white lab coat he wore gave him the demeanor of a scientist, the plastic animal crate he carried in his arms would definitely not be found inside a scientific establishment. "Hello there!" His voice was louder than most men his age, echoing off the buildings and causing some passersby to turn their heads- Sheik cringed inwardly at the thought of more eyes watching their exchange. Yet, the man continued to talk in his boisterous tone. "You must be the crew of the _Rosetta_, yes? I'm so thankful you're here! There isn't much time to lose, after all!"

Snake didn't seem annoyed by the older man, and instead stuck out his hand. "Yes, I'm Snake, the captain of-"

The animal crate's handle was stuffed into his open hand, as the older man cut him off. "The conference will be over in about eight hours, so I'll contact you when I'm able to pick up Pikachu. He's a bit of a picky eater since he only likes red berries-under NO circumstances are you to give him green berries- and he might try to shock you so wear rubber gloves during feeding time. Do not let him out of his crate for any reason, since he's quick and will slip away if you're not careful. He's quite valuable after all, and if something were to happen to him I'd be incredibly upset, understand? Yes? Good, in that case I'm off." Before the rest of the crew could react, the old man was already walking away, shouting out "Best of luck to you!" as he vanished into the crowds of Lumiose.

The crew of the _Rosetta_ seemed dumbfounded by what had occurred, until Mac glanced to a seething Wario. "Who the ex was that?"

"That," Wario growled, "was the prime Pokémon researcher in the galaxy, Professor Oak. And from the sounds of it, he just put us on babysitting duty."

* * *

><p>Pikachu was not impressed with his new confinements.<p>

The cage that Oak had stuffed him into was difficult to maneuver in, leaving his front half squished at the front of the cage and his back half squashed at an uncomfortable angle. His paws hurt from crouching on the hard plastic floor, and with his nose pressed against the cold silver bars of the cage, his misery only increased.

Yet that wasn't the worst part of his ordeal thus far. No, the worst part was the fact that he was surrounded by a strange group of beings, all staring him down from outside his pathetic prison. He had no idea who any of these individuals were, and from their conversations he could tell that they were equally clueless about him. Having carried him back to their ship, the only thing they had accomplished so far was finding a spot to set his cage. Now they simply gathered together in what Pikachu assumed was their cargo area, and stood about like idiots.

"So," one of the beings- a rotund man with a large mustache- spoke aloud, "what exactly is this thing we're supposed to be watching?"

A woman with blue hair looked at a tablet in her hand. "According to the local guide, it's a type of Pokémon called a Pikachu. Rather common in the Kalosian region, from what I can tell."

Pikachu rolled its eyes. _Common? How demeaning_.

"It says in this guide that they store thousands of volts of energy in their cheeks. Good thing it's in that plastic crate."

"That's great," said another being- a young human male- as he poked the bars with his fingers, "but why are we watching it in the first place?"

"I think there's a better question than that." The group turned to what Pikachu assumed was their leader, an older man with a ragged beard and a cigarette smoldering in his mouth. "What I want to know is why Professor Oak wanted us to be this...Pikachu's...bodyguards. Something doesn't add up."

The quietest member of the group, a slim figure dressed in an elaborate blue and white outfit, seemed to think on this for a moment before speaking. "Maybe this Pikachu is part of the Professor's research? He mentioned he was going to a conference when we met up with him. Perhaps he was worried someone would attempt to steal his breakthroughs or methods."

"Could be. It's easy money though, so long as we just watch this...Pikachu."

"Poyo." Suddenly, a pink stub of a hand reached toward Pikachu, who watched and waited as it drew closer and closer to him. As the cage door swung open, he tensed in excitement...and then...

"Kirby, I really wouldn't do that if I were-"

BZAAAAP!

There was a loud roar of pain from Pikachu's unexpected liberator, but this was trivial compared to the leap from cage to floor that Pikachu accomplished. His paws scrambled for a momentary grip against the metallic floor, but he was off and running without a second thought. The beings that had surrounded him moments before now cried out and dove for him, but like the electricity that coursed through his body, he was too quick for their grasp. _The fools left the cargo door wide open_, he noted with humor as he aimed for the ramp, skidding down the metal walkway and tumbling out into what he guessed was the docking station. Perfect. He could lose his captors in the crowds that milled about.

Or, he would have, had he not been grabbed roughly and lifted into the air.

Pikachu cried out as he was carried away from the ship by two strong hands, whose iron grip and rubbery gloves made it impossible to slip away or let out a jolt of electricity. The Pokémon struggled briefly, as his new captor walked through the throng of crews and passengers without pause. After a moment, they turned out into the streets of Lumiose City, and made a beeline for one of the many alleyways that crisscrossed the major streets. _Alleyways never hold anything good for Pokémon, _Pikachu thought to himself, with a sinking feeling deep in his stomach.

A figure in a trench coat and fedora waited there, leaning against the wall and watching with interest as Pikachu drew nearer. The brim of his hat cast a shadow on his features, but his white smile managed to stand out in the darkness. "So," he spoke, as the alley walls echoed with his smooth tone, "you managed to find him. Were you spotted?"

"No, sir," came another, deeper voice- Pikachu's captor, from the sound of it. "I found it outside the ship- it had escaped on its own somehow. I managed to capture it before the bodyguards Oak hired could find it again."

"Excellent, very excellent." The figure reached forward with gloved hands, and took Pikachu up to stare into his face. Pikachu shuddered at the dark, cold eyes that met his. "It's impossible to believe that such a cute little Pokémon could be so valuable...or that Oak would keep you under so much lock and key. Luckily for us, he can't protect you now."

"Should we worry about the bodyguards, Giovanni?"

"Have someone keep an eye on them. Those fools had no idea what they stepped into when they began their jobs." Giovanni's smile went from one of pleasure to one of calculation, as he murmured to the Pokémon, "I think it's time we show them how _special_ you truly are..."

* * *

><p>The crew of the <em>Rosetta<em> had wasted no time since Pikachu's escape, as they split into two groups to scour the city in score of the yellow electric Pokémon. Sheik, Lucina, and Wario were to explore the west side of the city, and then meet up at Prism Tower with Snake, Mac, and Kirby in the hopes that one of the groups would spot their target. This simple goal, however, was proving harder than it seemed.

"You'd think it be easy to spot something so brightly colored," Wario grumbled to Sheik, as the two stood back from where Lucina was questioning a passerby. From the sound of it, her Kalosian was not helping to clarify the situation.

"Pikachu was small, so it may have been easy for him to slip away," Sheik responded. "No one here would notice a stray Pokémon running about."

"Meh. We still need to find him, or else the captain will have an ex of a time with Oak once he learns what happened to his Pokémon." Flicking what appeared to be a booger off his finger (much to the silent disgust of Sheik), Wario continued his grumbling. "If only that giant puffball had kept his paws to himself. We'd be rolling in cash by now!"

Lucina, having apparently no luck with her questions, rejoined the group and offered a halfhearted shrug. "Well, that was a waste of time- he hasn't seen any Pikachu around lately. Apparently they're rarer in the Kalosian region than I though."

Scanning the surrounding crowds, Sheik felt more lost than he had been since leaving Hyrule. So far, he had been to two far-off planets, and yet both times he felt as though he had failed the most simplest of tasks, tasks that he seemed ill-prepared for. How could-

Before Sheik could speak up, something caught his attention: a darkly-dressed man in an alleyway, who seemed to be staring right at him. Fear washed over him for no more than a second, and then the stranger met his eyes.

He ran, and without thinking Sheik tore after him.

"Kid! Hey, where the ex-"

"Sheik! Come back!"

Sheik weaved through the crowds, his eyes locked on the stranger as he pushed pedestrians out of his way, sending shouts of surprise rocketing into the air. The stranger was fast, that much was true, but within a minute Sheik was gaining on him, and smirking as the man stole a quick look back and gasped at his close proximity. Skidding into a narrow, empty alley, the two raced at breakneck speed, until suddenly Sheik leapt forward, tackling the man to the ground and sending both rolling to a stop.

His captive struggled to roll away, but Sheik kept him pinned to the cobblestone ground, although it was a struggle to keep the larger man still. Getting a better look at him up close, he was relieved to see that the stranger was human- only Hylians were allowed to be part of the Guard. However, that only opened up more questions into his identity. "Who are you?" Sheik hissed, breath coming in short gasps. "Why were you watching us?"

The stranger coughed out a reply in a heavy Kalosian accent, smirking as his words fell from his lips. "Ah, _mon petit garçon_, you really think I will tell you-"

_Wham!_

Sheik's fist collided with the Kalosian's mouth, causing him to wince and turn his head to the side to spit out a glob of blood. "Allow me to ask you again," Sheik murmured in his ear. "Who are you?"

"Kid, if you're sitting on his windpipe like that, he won't tell you anything."

Lucina and Wario loomed over the pair, apparently having finally caught up to Sheik on his wild chase. Lucina made a gesture for Sheik to get up, which he reluctantly did after a moment's hesitation, and then lifted the man to pin him against the wall. Drawing her sword, she held it at his throat. "You heard my friend- who are you?"

"Alright, I'll say, I'll say!" Apparently not a fan of swords, the Kalosian winced as he spoke, with blood running from the split in his lip given to him by Sheik. "My boss, he wanted you watched in case you caused trouble."

"So you stole the Pikachu?"

"_Oui_, I followed you after Oak gave you the cage. The plan was to snatch it when you were all occupied, but you letting it escape simplified things for us."

"Yes, except for the part where you happened to get caught by the same people you were supposed to watch. So, where's the Pikachu now?"

"Ha, like I'd tell you that-"

Lucina pressed her sword closer to the man's throat. "I'll ask you nicely once more: where's the Pikachu?"

"_Mon Arceus_...he's at Prism Tower. Giovanni has already put his plan in motion by now though- it's too late for you, or that pathetic Pokém-"

Wario leaned forward and socked the man, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap. "There, now I got in on the interrogation too. We're all equal at last!"

"I wasn't done asking him questions!"

"We got the information," Sheik said. "We have to get to Prism Tower, and fast, before the Giovanni guy does something to that Pokémon."

"I'll contact the captain and tell him to meet us there. Wario, you know how to get there, right?"

"Eh, more or less. Unless you want to take a break for a little while, check out some cafes-"

"Wario!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll lead the way. Let's go, Fun Brigade."

As they hurried through the alleyways, Sheik found himself staring at his knuckles, which were bleeding slightly from his earlier punch to the Kalosian. It was the first time in his life he had ever punched another living being, and the feeling that accompanied it was nauseating. Numbness overtook him, and his hands shook as he curled them into fists and picked up his pace. _Why did you abandon us? _The dream-voices in his head cried out for an answer.

_Because I've become someone else now_, was his response.

* * *

><p>Gray clouds had begun to roll in by the time Sheik and the others had made it to Prism Tower, accented by the silvers and bronzes of spaceships overhead that caught the disappearing light. People were everywhere upon the road that wrapped around the base of the tower, but the Sheikah spotted Snake gently pushing his way towards them, with Mac and Kirby at his side. "You said some guy has the Pikachu?" he yelled as he finally made it over.<p>

"Yea, some guy named Giovanni."

Snake ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I've heard of that guy- he runs a criminal organization known as Team Rocket, out of the Kanto region, although lately they haven't been as active as some other region's organizations. What the heck is he doing here?"

"I think the better question," Mac said, "is where the ex is he?"

Kirby pointed. "Poyo."

He was right: upon a small stage in front of the tower's entrance, a dark-haired man stood in front of a large covered box that came up to his waist. He had begun to talk to a small crowd that gathered in front of him, and second by second more people were coming over to listen,

"That's him. Come on, let's get closer."

As the group made their way forward, Giovanni's words became clearer and easier to hear amid the noise of the city. "...I know how our people suffered in the Wars, my dear Kalosians. We are not a people of war, and neither are our Pokémon, and yet, others in the galaxy demanded that we fight. We showed them there are more ways to win a war than through violence! Our people and our Pokémon became nurses, and mechanics, and sent supplies to the troops who fought for our freedom across the stars!"

The crowd had begun to gather now, hanging onto his words as he continued to speak. "Yes, and when that last battle took place, and the Oracle defeated Tabuu, we were there to cheer and celebrate the banishing of darkness! But what did we get in return from our fellow planets? Contempt! Derision! They looked down upon us all, people and Pokémon alike, and claimed we did nothing in the war, that we did not fight with honor or power! They, who sacrificed countless lives, looked down on us, who lost not a single soul in all the years of the Wars! Us, who lent our support when all those across the galaxy needed it! Can it be true? Can we really have done nothing?"

"No!" The crowd yelled in anger, and, Sheik noted, the crew of the _Rosetta_ stiffened.

"Those fools refused to trade with us after that, and we struggled after the Wars. My people, long have we had to be sufficient, to look after one another and provide for ourselves above all else. Long have our Pokémon been there at our sides, working to make a better place for both of our species. Today, I give to you a power born from this planet, one that the professors have kept from us for fear it would we be used the wrong way. A power that means we will never have to struggle again, a power that promises respect and awe from other galaxies, a power that will catapult us into a new age of strength! Never again will others mock us! Never again will we be known as weak! Instead, today will be the day in which show the universe just how much power we will fight with!"

Amidst the roar of the crowd, amidst the raised fists and eyes filled with anger, Giovanni swept the cover off the box behind him, throwing it across the stage with a flourish as he yelled to the people, "Look! Let us witness the birth of our true power!"

What was inside the box was simply horrifying.

The box was made of a clear material, allowing one to see the nest of wires that snaked around the still yellow form of Pikachu, and which glowed with a blinding white light. Various buttons flashed at seemingly random intervals along the sides of the box, and at the very top was a large, smooth, ivory-colored orb. "What in Hylia's name is that?" Sheik questioned in shock, never once taking his eyes off the motionless Pokémon.

"He's taken that Pokémon," Snake growled, "and used it to create a weapon."

Those in the crowd seemed to not notice that something was amiss, as they only increased their volume upon the unveiling of the weapon. "The energy inside this cube," Giovanni explained, "can make those naysayers cower beneath us! Think of the power! Think of the greatness we can achieve!"

"Captain, he's whipping the crowd into a frenzy," noted Lucina, flinching slightly as one of the crowd members screeched nearby. "If we don't do something-"

"Then let's do something. Let's get up there and take him down."

The crew looked to Sheik in surprise at his sudden outburst. "It's a good idea, but we still have to deal with the crowd," Mac said. "If we rush him now, then it'll only add fuel to the fire, and we'll have to deal with people and Pokémon trying to take us on."

"So expose the fact that the weapon is powered by Pikachu! If people here are as passionate about Pokémon as you say they are, then learning the truth should cause them to turn on Giovanni."

Snake's eyes met Sheik's, and after a second, he nodded in agreement. "He's right- if we show the truth, we can get the crowd on our side."

Mutters of "It's worth a shot" could be heard from the crew, as Kirby answered with a determined "Poyo!"

"Alright then. Sheik, you're the fastest of us, so while we distract Giovanni and whatever goons he has up there, you focus on getting on that stage and freeing Pikachu. Got it?"

"Yes...captain."

"Good. Let's get this started then."

Sheik pushed his way through the crowd, avoiding their heated exchanges as he kept his eyes fixed on the stage. There was a disturbance in the crowd out of the corner of his eye- it seemed as if Giovanni had brought members of Team Rocket to his demonstration after all, and they had spotted Snake and the crew. Giovanni was watching the scuffle with interest, giving Sheik the perfect opportunity to climb up onto the far side of the stage, just feet away from where Pikachu was kept.

"I wouldn't move any further if I were you."

The head of Team Rocket's voice was soft enough to be heard by Sheik, causing him to immediately freeze in alarm. Giovanni never moved his eyes away from the crowd, although he continued to speak in a soft, cold tone. "I heard about you- you managed to track down one of my members earlier today. An impressive feat. If things were different, I might have offered you a position within my organization. I can't pass up those who have potential, after all."

"You can't use that Pokémon as a weapon," Sheik replied. "What you're doing is wrong. You have to let it go."

"Pokémon have always been used as weapons, a fact that outsiders never seem to comprehend. Of course, people never call them weapons, but with their battles, their training, their desire to capture and conquer...well, what else would Pokémon be to us?" Giovanni turned his head slightly toward Sheik, fixing him in his gaze. "You seem too young to remember the Tabuu Wars, and you aren't from this planet. How could you understand?"

"Please, let him go."

"I'm going to give you an opportunity here. You have this moment, right here, right now, to simply walk away. I will let you and your companions go, and pay you for your troubles." He smirked, and gently shook his head. "This isn't your fight, young man. Walk away now, and be grateful I gave you a choice in the matter."

Sheik hesitated, looking out to the crowd where the _Rosetta_'s crew were smacking Team Rocket members left and right, as the crowd jeered at the outsiders. He looked to the glowing box with Pikachu inside, and then back to the waiting form of Giovanni. "I-"

_Why did you abandon us?_

"Come on young man, you know what to do."

_Why did you abandon us?_

"I-"

_Why did you abandon us?_

_...Because I have to protect you,_ Sheik thought.

"No! I can't leave Pikachu behind! You have to let him go!" Sheik's voice rose in a crescendo, carrying over the crowd and through the plaza of Lumiose City. "You're _killing_ _Pikachu_!"

Silence. The crowd was stunned for a moment, until, somewhere amid the mass of people, a voice cried out. "Is that a Pokémon in there?"

"That's a Pikachu!"

"Oh my goodness, those wires..."

"It's hurting it!"

The murmurs of shock and horror grew, until a cry of "Free him!" was shouted. More people repeated the cry.

"Free him!"

"Please, free that Pikachu!"

Before Giovanni could react, Sheik swooped over to the box, pulling off the top and casting it aside, as he quickly untangled Pikachu from the mass of wires. He lifted the Pokémon out gently, cradling it in his arms as it opened its eyes. For a moment, it appeared as though Pikachu smiled. "He's ok!"

The Kalosians roared, without the bloodlust that had dominated those moments before, as Giovanni winced at the sound. He let out an audible sigh moments later, as the police began to make their way towards him. "You've got guts, kid," he muttered to Sheik. "But you can't save everyone, you know."

Sheik looked down at Pikachu, then shrugged. "Well, at least I can try."

* * *

><p>Professor Oak, in the end, was not entirely pleased with the protection offered by the crew of the <em>Rosetta<em>.

"So you mean to tell me that Pikachu wasn't kidnapped by Team Rocket, but that he actually escaped from your own supervision?!" Oak had apparently rushed over to Prism Tower upon hearing of the day's events, and found the _Rosetta_'s crew with his precious Pikachu amid the questions of the police. Soon after that he had begun his own form of questioning- and, in Sheik's opinion, it was worse than that of the Kalosian police.

Snake was having a difficult time with the professor, who was holding the now-sleeping Pikachu tightly in his arms. "Yes sir, we had a slight...mishap on board. However, your Pikachu remains safe and sound, just as we promised."

"Yes, except for the part where he was kidnapped and forced to become a living battery." Oak rubbed at his temples, then continued, "I knew this would happen, even before I left Kanto. Yet no matter what precautions I took, it just wasn't enough."

"Excuse me, sir," Sheik asked, "but why would Giovanni want your Pikachu? If they're so common, why not get a wild one?"

"Ah, yes...well, as you know, our planet has suffered an ill reputation after the Tabuu Wars, and many planets refuse to trade with or even acknowledge us. This led to us struggling to come up with alternatives for many things we once received through interplanetary trade, namely an energy source. I had been conducting research on possible types of sources, when I realized something: we already had a plentiful form of electricity in Electric-type Pokémon. So I began to see if it were possible to have Pikachu create energy that could be easily used by homes, businesses, and the people of all the regions." Oak absentmindedly scratched Pikachu behind the ears as he added, "It seems that some people heard of my plans and figured that we should use this unlimited energy supply for revenge, instead of for ourselves."

"It's a good thing we were able to stop things before it got worse," said Mac. "Although I think the feelings Giovanni stirred up will be hard to hide once again."

"The people of the regions are very proud of their partnership with Pokémon- no matter what they feel towards other planets, they will always make sure their Pokémon are alright." Oak turned and stuck out a hand to Sheik. "You have my utmost thanks, young man. If you ever are in need of anything, please come to the Kanto region and see me. I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you, sir."

Reaching into his lab coat pockets, Oak pulled out and handed Snake a small bag. "Here you are. Despite your mishaps, you did manage to get Pikachu back to me in what appears to be one piece. Now, I have a train to catch back home. Take care!" As quickly as Professor Oak had appeared, he and Pikachu were gone, walking back towards the edges of Lumiose City and out of sight of the crew.

Sunset had begun to fall in Kalos, as homes began turning on golden lights that shone through windows and onto the plaza. Few remained there, among them being the crew. "Well," Snake said aloud, "That's a job I never want to do again."

"I think it's best we leave body guarding to the professionals," muttered Lucina. "Come on, let's go back to the ship and get out of here. I'm tired of this city."

"Hang on a second." Sheik, who had been watching the retreating form of Professor Oak, looked up to see the crew staring at him. "Sheik," Snake said, "You did good today. I don't know what happened up there on that stage, but I sure as ex didn't see the same scared kid I met yesterday. You're one of our crew, and you acted like it."

Sheik felt his cheeks redden slightly at the captain's praise, and quietly muttered a thank you. "Captain," Wario laughed, "I think you embarrassed him."

"Wario, you've never been embarrassed in your entire life."

"If you spoke that sweetly to me, I'd be embarrassed!"

They began to move towards the terminal, laughing and joking along the way. Sheik joined in, a real smile on his face for the first time in what felt like a long time. His thoughts were no longer haunted by the nightmare that had stuck with him all day- instead, they were filled with hope, and a joyful realization.

He was one of the crew now.

* * *

><p>On a far-off planet, a messenger knocked at a wooden door.<p>

"Come in."

The messenger entered, swallowing his nerves at the sight of the office's occupant, who had their back turned to them as they gazed out the window, and sputtered out, "Your Majesty...there's information coming in from the PokePlanet."

"What possible information could make me interested in such a place?"

"There was some kind of incident today, Your Majesty. Reports aren't confirmed yet, but there are rumors that one of those involved wore...the uniform of a Sheikah."

The only sound to be heard in the office was the splashes of rain hitting the windowpanes. "I see. Is that all?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then you are dismissed. Keep me informed should more information be found."

Bowing, the messenger slipped out of the room, and shut the door behind him with a dull thud. The other individual continued to stare out at the falling rain in silence, until finally, a sigh filled the tiny room.

"Ah, Sheik, your days of running are coming to an end."

* * *

><p><strong>And that concludes Chapter Three! Who is that mysterious figure looking for Sheik? You'll have to keep reading to find out!<strong>

**Anyways, a few notes for this chapter: this was the most difficult chapters I've ever written. A few times I actually came close to just giving up and taking the whole fic down, seeing that it's barely begun. Pikachu was supposed to be the main character for this chapter, but I had to cut a lot of his POV pieces down, so ultimately we ended up with another Sheik chapter! Whoops!**

**I'm tempted to create some sort of companion website to go with this series (narrowed it down to either a Tumblr or a Wikia), because this fic is literally the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the universe I've created within _Ascendance_. If I make a site, it will have character info, stuff on every planet, and even some cool facts and info that will be incorporated into later chapters. Might even get some artwork on there! If you like the idea, sound off in the comments! I'd love to hear your opinion!**

**Lastly, I've been thinking about possibly taking this story and making it original (i.e. publishing it). Of course it's far from done, so it really depends on the popularity of the whole thing from here on out. For now, though, I'll continue to update when possible.**

**And that's it for me, folks! I'll see you all next update, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later. Write on!**


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